terms and conditions of 2023 Garden competition

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Properties must be located within Lockyer Valley Regional Council rated boundary. 

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Categories:

• Grand Champion Award – Inaugural Heather King Trophy - This award will be presented to the garden which achieves the highest overall points as allocated by the judging panel.

• Best Small Residential Garden – Entries in this category are considered to cover an area less than 1000 square metres.

• Best Rural Garden – Entries for this category are considered to cover an area greater than 1000² metres. This can include the whole garden or a part of it.

• Best Environmentally Sustainable Garden - This award will be presented to the garden judged as being most sustainable, incorporating the following: maintenance with a minimal environmental footprint, use of locally sourced or recycled materials, demonstrated low-level water requirements through plant choice, mulching and collection of rainwater, growing and/or propagating own plants and produce, composting and exhibiting overall good environmental practices.

• Best Community Garden - Entries in this category must have a high level of contribution and collaboration from community volunteers working together to plan and manage the garden. Practices of community engagement and participation are highly valued in this category. Entries where maintenance of the garden/park is assisted by the Lockyer Valley Regional Council are still eligible for consideration but will be weighed against other entries.

• Best Business / School / Commercial Garden - (Includes gardens professionally maintained)
  Entries in this category can be of any size, and include places of worship, hospitals, industrial properties, businesses, nursing homes, schools, community areas, retail premises and hotels. The gardens can be of any variety.

 

Judging of entries and judging criteria

All entries in the 2023 Laidley Spring Festival Garden Competition will be personally judged by a panel of appointed garden judges and horticulture professionals. Lockyer Valley Regional Council will contact entrants to confirm their allocated judging time slot for the judging panel to view each Garden Competition entry. Judging will take place 24th & 25th of August 2023.

Presentation morning tea will be held on Friday, 1 September, 2023 at the Laidley Cultural Centre Function room at 10.00am.

It is preferable that 2023 Laidley Spring Festival Garden Competition entrants are present at their allocated judging timeslot and during the judging of their entry. Judging generally takes between 10 – 30 minutes depending on the size and nature of the entry. Entrants are encouraged to show the judges around their garden. The judges may ask the entrant some basic questions about their garden and gardening practices.

 

Judging will be based on the following key factors:

• Maintenance - the lack of elements such as dead and diseased plants, well presented lawns, and clipped shrubs, considered water usage and overall attention to detail.

• Design - aspects such as layout, colour, use of line, form and texture, plant use and once again attention to detail within this context.

• Intent - the active participation of the entrant, level of knowledge and enthusiasm and extent of third-party assistance.

• Environmental consideration - reduced water use, moisture retention strategies, recycling, and reuse. Minimal pesticide and chemical use and plant selection.

• Natural environment - encouraging wildlife (provide a habitat or food source for local native fauna), use of native and local plant species and free of declared or environmental weeds.

• Creativity, innovation, and passion – is the garden creative and innovative, does the garden reflect the Wollondilly region’s unique environment?

 

The Judging panel will consist of:

• Two garden enthusiasts endorsed by the Laidley Garden Club Inc, one of which is a horticulturalist.

 

Prizes:

• Total Prize Value $1450.00

• Grand Champion - $300.00 Pohlmans Nursery prize voucher and inaugural perpetual Heather King trophy as well as category winner prize.

• Category Winner – $150.00 Pohlmans Nursery prize voucher

• Category Runner-up - $75.00 Pohlmans Nursery prize voucher

• Prizes are not redeemable for cash

• Prize vouchers must be redeemed at Pohlmans Nursery, Redbank Creek Road, Adare.

 

Declaration

By signing this agreement, I hereby agree to the Lockyer Valley Regional Council and its associated partners in the 2023 Laidley Spring Festival Garden Competition to advertising the address of my registered garden. I also agree to permit the public on my property during the Laidley Spring Festival, 8-9 September inclusive, and confirm that I have adequate Property and Public Liability Insurance to cover any incidents that may occur. I also agree to have my garden photographed which may be used by the Lockyer Valley Regional Council in future advertising.